The invention relates generally to the field of door locks, and more particularly, is directed to a lightweight, portable lock designed to permit the rapid locking and unlocking of most swinging type door constructions from inside of the premises.
In view of the increased number of reported instances of unlawful entry and break-ins in homes, businesses, hotel rooms and motel rooms, it has become increasingly important to find a reliable means for locking doors to protect the lives and property of the lawful occupants while they are within the building.
Prior workers in the art have developed portable door fasteners or locks of the general type forming the subject matter of the present invention in an effort to provide an inexpensive, portable device suitable to secure a door from the inside to discourage unauthorized entry. The device of our earlier invention, U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,317 is exemplary of prior art portable locking systems designed for door securing purposes.
The prior portable locks usually comprise generally an enlongate body which terminates at one end in a door keeper recess engagement means and at the other end in a threaded socket. An operating bolt is threadedly engaged in the socket to reciprocally move a slide or block along the body. The slide is forwardly moved to a door engaging position and is rearwardly pulled to a door releasing position, whereby the portable lock is usually compatible for use with most existing swinging door constructions.
While the above-mentioned patent and the patents cited therein employ the same general operating concept as the present invention, all of the devices of which we are aware are relatively slow in operation and quite costly in production, thereby discouraging widespread acceptance of such portable locking systems.